Exclusive: Cris Cyborg Discusses Her Weight Cut, Argument With Nutritionist
Cris Cyborg's problems with cutting weight have been well documented.
On Monday's edition of "The MMA Hour", Cris Cyborg said she weighed 165 pounds heading into her fight against Lina Lansberg at UFC Fight Night 95. Then on Tuesday, MMAFighting's Ariel Helwani said on Twitter that Cyborg woke up at 160 pounds. On Friday morning, the former Strikeforce featherweight champion will have to weigh 140 pounds or less at the official weigh-ins.
In an exclusive interview with Fightful, the Brazilian wouldn't reveal how much she currently weighed, but noted it was below 160. She feels when it is time to weigh-in on Friday morning, she will be ok.
"No, I’m below that," Cyborg told Fightful. "I lost a little bit and I lost a little bit yesterday. I lost more the last couple days too. Of course, I’m not the same weight as my last fight on the same day but I think it will be ok."
Also on Tuesday, a video blog was posted to Cyborg's You Tube page. In the video, Cyborg and her nutrition coach George Lockhart were shown arguing about her taking birth control pills. Cyborg stated that they're dangerous and will make her retain water weight. Lockhart told her the pills would help and act as a diuretic, which is actually the case.
Everything is now fine between the two, but the Invicta FC featherweight champion still doesn't agree with Lockhart's method.
"Everything’s ok but I don’t agree," Cyborg exclaimed. "I don’t agree but everything again when we started camp but I don’t agree. But we are a team and he’s apart of the family. We just had a conversation, and he extended his point and let it go and I think we have to keep going."
Cyborg's weight cuts have always been difficult for her entire career whether she's fought at 140 or 145 pounds. In her mind, she has to go through two fights — the weight cut and the one in the cage. Cyborg stays mentally strong by believing that everything will work out, utilizing religion and trusting her fight team
"Right now I’ve been focusing on the fight," Cyborg stated. "For me, I know this isn’t easy. It’s hard. My mind is strong. I know I’m going to make weight. It doesn’t matter if its 140 or 145. I know it’s hard work. The first fight for me is to make weight and after that is the real fight. My mind is strong. You know, fighters never give up and keep going. It doesn’t matter. No matter what is going on, you keep going, keep up the hard work. I believe in my team. I have too. I believe in god. I know he’ll be ok and everything will happen and be ok."
Every time Cyborg fights, the topic of conversation is the weight cut with the fight being an afterthought. She humbly disagrees and feels every fighter goes through the same struggles because this is what they love to do.
"People just say this about me but other fighters have the same problems, the same things," Cyborg said. "You pick the weight that you are for the fights. I think this is the lifestyle for all of the fighters and not just me because the fans can see the reality. And not just the other side of the tunnel and behind the scenes like watching you train, watching what you eat but that’s what we love to do."
UFC Fight Night 95 takes place on Saturday from the Nilson Nelson Gymnasium in.Brasilia, Brazil. The main card begins at 10 p.m. ET on Fox Sports 1.
